A monumental waste? DHA residents unhappy with construction of Sea View flagpole

They feel the money would be better spent on improving civic facilities

KARACHI: Why are they wasting money trying to construct the tallest flag in the country when there are more important issues that need to be addressed? ask Defence Housing Authority and Clifton residents about the construction taking place at Sea View for the past several months.

In August last year, the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) announced that it was erecting a flagpole at Sea View. They claimed that they would be the only beach in the country to host a national flag and had announced September 6 as the unveiling date in a bid to honour the armed forces.



Four months later, the project remains incomplete, the expected cost has gone up and no date has been finalised for the inauguration.

According to the Association of Defence Residents (ADR), the project is worth a few million rupees. Residents feel that the money can be spent on other civic issues being faced by the neighbourhood. "The feedback we got from people was that CBC should do something constructive instead of putting up the biggest flag," said ADR general secretary Asad Kizilbash. "There are pipes that need to be repaired, roads that need to be built and sewerage and water issues."

Despite the delays, the labourers can be seen hard at work every time you drive on the main Sea View road near the Beachview Park. A massive entrance has been built to lead to the elevated structure on which the flagpole is built. A few pillars also surround the structure along with several palm trees.

A resident of Florida Homes Apartments, Samra Sohail, feels that the CBC's flags and monuments at the beach may attract the public but it will not have any benefit for the residents. "The CBC can spend this money on cleanliness and provide water to the people instead of working on monuments [whose appeal] will wear off soon," she said.



CBC vice-president Aziz Suharwardy did not reveal the cost of the project but said that the CBC had contributed a small chunk towards it while the army and bankers were the main donors. He said that the delay was because of technicalities. Giving details of the project, the CBC official said that the flagpole has been erected and the park is being expanded.



"CBC is working with the Citizens Archive of Pakistan to establish a room in the park where archives will be put on display so that people coming to the beach can also get some education about the country. Screens will also be set up," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd,  2016.